way too late for garlic, wont be long before it's time to harvest them as they take many months to grow.plant in middle of winter basically and harvest middle of summer.
jaxx, have you been letting your celery dry out too much or get too waterlogged!I've found celery very easy to grow as long as it's free draining soil and watered often in hot weather (once every day or two).
Debncal, NO never plant directly into compost as it's too 'strong' and will burn the plants.Compost is meant as a nourishment but it's concentrated so you'd plant directly into a bag of garden or potting mix MIXED with some compost (no more than 25%) and water well.If I add compost to a garden I usually get some gloves on and either work in by hand or fork it in to ensure it is well mixed up.You only need the roots of a plant to get too much compost and the plant will die.
skye7,
Nov 27, 3:05pm
Just curious if you have planted garlic inside does it matter when in the year the planting occurred! I have read advice related to planting on the shortest day and harvesting on the longest, however no rationale for this is provided and debate seems to exists around the relevance of this. I accept the crop takes six months, but wonder if it matters which six months it occurs in. For example if you plant now (inside) potentially you would be harvesting in May
Interested in anyones advice
soc_butterfly,
Nov 27, 4:55pm
I think the rationale is simply the warmer weather skye.So you could definitely try bringing it into warmer areas as the weather cools, or hothouse/plastic glasshouse might work.The only issue I can foresee is that you'd need a reasonably constant temp there and if inside as the weather cools you'd need to keep temp from getting too low in the nights.
I'd advise you to ask the gurus like mclad, piquant and stevee.They are way more experienced than I.
Crap weather in welly today, I really wanted to go to a fair at this gorgeous homestead.grrr!
englishrose38,
Nov 27, 6:10pm
Hi there. I have just bought a raised garden, some veggie plants and compost/garden mix etc.Am wanting to put the box on a 'lawned' area as I have easy access from the kitchen, water supply and will get good sun.but do I need to dig over the area first and get rid of all the grass and plant matter, or can I lay down some newspaper and plastic and put the compost over that.advice would be appreciated
tarn146,
Nov 28, 1:39pm
We were having trouble with birds getting into the tunnel house. I got some of those cheap silver xmas balls and have them strung around the place. Plus I put tinfoil around some cardboard strips and hung them up. I used cotton to hang them as they seem to spin more.
huddiegirl,
Nov 28, 1:52pm
Hello everyone, another amateur vegie gardener here.This year is my first time and in my raised gardens I have brocolli, cauli, cabbage, potatoes, beetroot, capsicum, celery, lettuce, .I have 4 different types of tomatoes in their own tubs and my herb garden has parsley, chives, coriander, red onions, spring onions, basil, garlic, mint and thyme.I have a couple of questions - why is my brocolli and cauliflower starting of perfectly formed and then when it gets to say a small fist size it's suddenly going to seed!I haven't been able to use any of it.I put sheep pellets on my garden and a bit of blood and bone etc.Also - the coriander grows so quickly and also goes to seed, can I just chop it back to keep it at bay!Thanks to everyone here who takes the time to help the rest of us - this is a great thread.
buzzy110,
Nov 28, 5:03pm
Coriander always seems to run to seed up here but it does take longer when the temps are not so humid. I usually just let them go and they will self seed. I also just keep planting new seeds every month as well to keep new ones coming on. Seeds grow just fine if put straight into the garden.
I was reading another thread where others have had the same problem with plants bolting. The answer seemed to lie in the weather apparently. It was suggested that brassicas bolt if planted too late in the Spring when things are starting to warm up. I can't vouch for that info though. Lucky for me I couldn't wait to plant my seedlings and did it at the end of Winter and I am now eating broccoli and cabbage. Pity those two items are sooo cheap (3 for $2) at the moment. I console myself that mine are organic and extremely fresh.
skye7,
Nov 28, 5:24pm
Thanks for that, makes total sense. I have mine growing inside a conservatory and planning to trial some in our small tunnel house. After all the worse that can happen is it wont work and the world will keep spinning and nothing will be lost but a lesson learnt.
soc_butterfly,
Nov 28, 8:10pm
My brassicas went to seed also and I saw in another thread that we'd maybe started them too early.
They also said that sowing now would be more successful so I've germinated some more.watch this space!
wandering_sloth,
Nov 28, 10:37pm
i just chopped my coriander right back yesterday, whole lot of it, grows like a maniac anyway lol
i have mini brocolli heads, and if THEY bolt, there WILL be trouble
soc_butterfly,
Nov 29, 1:05am
I'm sure they wont desp, just keep them well watered coz apparently if they dry out they'll bolt too.sheesh princesses!
I ripped mine out today and replaced with seedlings so here's hoping!
I wish I could get coriander to grow.I've never been successful so far.A neighbour of mine told me that she grows it with great success here, so as I'm relatively new to this area I'm hoping I can do it.have planted 2 so far and they both died :(
soc_butterfly,
Nov 29, 1:07am
Have you seen James Wong's books or series 'how to grow your own drugs' desp!They're very good, natural remedies and how to make them.I bought his book off amazon and downloaded the series.It was on TV1 on saturday nights a month or two ago.
stevee6,
Nov 29, 1:16am
Butting in here but I thought brassicas went to seed as the weather warmed up - but my MIL has wonderful broccoli right now in Auckland! Meantime all of mine went to seed(silverbeet included) and the cabbages had no hearts. It's enough to make you swear!
skye7,
Nov 29, 1:42pm
I am currently in chch and the weather has been varied over the weekend. Heading back south on Wednesday.
Have left hubbie in charge of the gardens!
buzzy110,
Nov 29, 3:47pm
stevee I live in AK and my broccoli and cabages are fabulous. Have harvested the first heads of broccoli and eaten (yummo) and the next lot (I learnt that they sprout new heads if you leave them) are coming on line and have to harvest a whole lot today or they'll be 'overblown'. I put mine in when it was still cold (early Sept) and they are in semi shade for most of the day. I didn't hold out much hope but they are brilliant.
What I did was dig a deepish type trench, 1/2 filled with some chook manure compost which was still cooking and put the rest of the soil back on top. This warmed up my soil nicely for growing, but the plants were not warm enough to bolt. What's more, I discovered this quite by accident because I had the plants and wanted them in the ground. Also have a Sutton Composter and mulched heavily with the stuff out of that.
lythande1,
Nov 29, 7:50pm
1) What plants do & do not like epsom salts & coffee poured on them! You should only add epsom salts if the plant is lacking and needs it.
3) Should seeds be scattered or grown in rows! tidier in rows and easier to keep track of what you planted. Even better use seed trays and plant out later.
4) If you let a veggie turn to seed will it just resow itself elsewhere or do I have to do something! Yes, generally it will grow itself. Some plants however become less vigorous - parsley can do that.
it was on tv1 about a month or two ago desp.I also bought his book and my daughter has made some of the lozenges etc, looks like some great easy recipes to do it yourself naturally!
tjs641,
Nov 30, 4:08am
The reason why you don't grow garlic now is that it needs a period of cold to make bulbs form apparently.Also I think the idea of compost burning plants is rubbish, I plant in straight compost very often with no problems.Just ensure that it is well rotted as if it isn't that is when you could potentially have problems with plant roots getting burned.
soc_butterfly,
Nov 30, 5:06am
Didn't quite understand that.you just contradicted yourself lol
wayne.collect,
Nov 30, 10:00pm
Hi all, any hints I need to know about growing Garlic in pots!
buzzy110,
Dec 1, 2:32pm
Pull them out immediately. Not only will they take over your brassicas they will completely cover everything in sight. I made that mistake one year and they totally smothered my entire garden and, if it weren't for the lawn mover my lawn would have become impenetrable.
The plant itself has a rough spiky finish on both leaves and stem and it rips your skin similar to falling and grazing on loose gravel. So pull them now and buy your squash. You don't need pumpkins, etc so much that you have to sacrifice your entire garden.
buzzy110,
Dec 1, 2:46pm
What I have learnt about POTATOES.It isn't much and it is now too late but keep this info for next September (can start planting then or even August in AK).
DO prepare your plot at least a week in advance because you will get all excited and impatient and do it wrong, like I did this year. DO dig nice deep (1 mtre minimum), wide trenches and neatly pile the dirt along the sides of your trenches. DON"T plant on the surface of your garden. I repeat DO NOT just plant on the level surface of your garden.
DO add a dressing of superphospate (140g) and sulphate of ammonia (56g) per sq mtr.
When the shoots reach 20cm high, start to pile the dirt along the sides of your trenches back around them. This is the bit I didn't know and I couldn't get anyone to tell me till it was too late.
Cover the green shoots. They will keep growing and potatoes will grow on them. Keep mounding up, daily if necessary. You can cover the plants completely if you want. Keep going till you have used up all your soil. Then keep on doing this by stealing soil from where ever you can. When you run out of soil, use straw. Anything just keep covering the plant as it grows. When flowers start you can stop.
That is what I learned this year the hard way. I planted on top and had to create huge mountains and I couldn't keep up so the tops broke off in the wind and I only have a few plants left. Sigh. What a waste of good garden space. Next year will be better.lol
pentax1,
Dec 1, 3:17pm
Thanks Buzzy, i have not tried potatoes this year as i have limited space. My radishes are fantastic, lettuce growing well now i have netting to keep the birds off. Corn and peas are growing slowly. Pumpkin is in a big pot on it's own and is growing well as are the stawberries. My tomato plant is still growing but only leaves no flowers yet, still hoping it will but not holding my breath lol. It is still cold down here and has been raining for the last 3 days, only good thing about that is i don't need to water the garden.
pentax1,
Dec 3, 7:49pm
wow i killed the thread lol. I have just weeded my garden and picked some of the raddishes that were ready, put some stakes in for the peas and lifted the bird netting up a bit. It still covers everything so the birds still can't get the plants but my peas were starting to grow through it lol. How is everyone elses gradens going, Jill.
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